Three ways to celebrate Small Business Saturday in Butler County

BUY LOCAL, BUY BUTLER

See videos of small business owners from throughout Butler County, and read more about local industry online only at www.journal-news.com as part of this special series.

Also online, get a list of Hamilton and Oxford businesses with special Small Business Saturday offers.

Shopping local can strengthen an entire community, because small businesses tend to pay more in local taxes, often pay higher wages and order supplies and contract services from other local businesses, said Greg Kathman, economic development manager for the city of Fairfield.

At the end of October, Fairfield launched a new campaign to encourage residents to shop local stores not just this weekend, during Small Business Saturday, but throughout the year.

In a world in which national chains mean consumers can shop the same stores and restaurants in most places, small businesses offer something unique, Kathman said.

“There’s something about local distinctive character that makes communities unique. Fairfield has some local unique businesses that makes it different from somewhere else,” he said.

“Locally-owned businesses just recycle so much more revenue back into the local economy compared to some of the national chain stores,” he added.

On Small Business Saturday, Nov. 29, supporters encourage consumers to do some of their holiday shopping on the Saturday after Thanksgiving at their neighborhood stores. The national “shop local” movement started in 2010.

In addition to shopping local, here are three ways to celebrate Small Business Saturday in Butler County:

1. Win cash prizes in Oxford.

The Oxford Chamber of Commerce is taking the American Express, Small Business Saturday promotion a step further by creating a “Shop Small, Shop Local, Shop Oxford” campaign for the entire month of November to promote and support locally-owned businesses.

Fifteen chamber member businesses have opted to participate. Shoppers and diners who spend $50 or more in the participating retailers and restaurants in Oxford may enter to win a $100 cash prize to be given away on Small Business Saturday. Five lucky winners will be notified.

For more information, contact the chamber at 513-523-5200.

2. Follow clues to find Hidden Cash in Hamilton.

The Greater Hamilton Chamber of Commerce is organizing two Hidden Cash contests on Saturday to boost traffic at Hamilton-area based small businesses.

For Hidden Cash, the chamber places envelopes stuffed with greenbacks at participating small businesses. Members of the community must follow clues on the chamber’s Facebook page to find the secret location.

Players win cash by finding the secret business first and asking, “may I have the envelope please?” The amount of money varies, said Tiffany Grubb, the chamber’s membership development coordinator.

Anyone in the Butler County community can participate by liking the Hamilton chamber on Facebook.

“It promotes the business. The more people that come (into the business), the better,” Grubb said.

For more information, contact the chamber at 513-844-1500.

3. Visit Middletown’s Pendleton Art Center during special hours.

About 25 art, jewelry, gift, framing and other studios will be open from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. during special holiday hours Saturday at the Pendleton Art Center, 1105 Central Ave., in Middletown.

Visitors can also catch Middletown’s Santa Parade at 4 p.m. at Broad Street and Central Avenue.

Pendleton will be open for people to come, check out the artists and hopefully buy Christmas gifts, said Suzanne Sizer, the center’s marketing manager.

“It would help the local economy,” Sizer said. “When people are working and living and giving to their community, they’re much more involved and when they shop in the local community, they’re much more involved in the prosperity of the community.”